[Sportschosun, Jang Jong-ho] A woman in her 20s who had always led a healthy and active lifestyle was diagnosed with leukemia after initially believing that a large bruise on her arm had been caused by exercise.
According to The Sun and other foreign media outlets, Megan Wright, 28, a radiographer living in Dundee, Scotland, began developing a large bruise on her arm early this year. The bruise did not disappear easily and sometimes remained for nearly a month.
Because Wright regularly enjoyed pole dancing, she initially thought the bruises had occurred during exercise. She also attributed her fatigue to working slightly longer hours.
In February, she visited her primary care physician after injuring her knee. The doctor recommended a blood test, which indicated that she might have lymphoma or leukemia. A subsequent bone marrow examination at the hospital confirmed a final diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
Wright said, "It was something I never expected," adding, "I went to the hospital because of my knee, and within a few days I was diagnosed with leukemia."
Immediately after having the blood test, she also experienced a nosebleed that did not stop for about 20 minutes. This, too, was confirmed to be a symptom related to leukemia.
Wright began chemotherapy immediately after her diagnosis.
Wright is now in remission and reportedly does not need a bone marrow or hematopoietic stem cell transplant. However, she still has additional chemotherapy ahead to reduce the risk of relapse.
Wright said, "I want to get back to proper pole dancing and return to work," adding, "I am extremely tired right now and cannot do as much as I used to, but I hope I can return once all my treatment is finished."
Acute leukemia is a blood cancer in which hematopoietic stem cells that produce blood cells transform into leukemia cells and multiply abnormally in the bone marrow. These cells then spread throughout the body through the bloodstream and invade various organs, including the liver, spleen, and lymph nodes.
Depending on the origin of the blood cells, acute leukemia is divided into acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Acute myeloid leukemia is the most common form of acute leukemia overall, occurs particularly often in adults, and has an average age at diagnosis in the late 60s. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is more common in children, but its disease mechanisms and treatment strategies differ in adults, making specialized care for adult leukemia necessary.
Acute leukemia can be diagnosed late because its early symptoms resemble ordinary fatigue or a cold.
Other possible symptoms include fatigue or weakness, unexplained bruising and bleeding, pale skin, recurrent infections, fever, swollen lymph nodes, bone or joint pain, and unexplained weight loss.
Jang Jong-ho, reporter
bellho@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
